Ready Player One (film)

Ready Player One
Theatrical release poster
Directed bySteven Spielberg
Screenplay by
Based onReady Player One
by Ernest Cline
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyJanusz Kamiński
Edited by
Music byAlan Silvestri
Production
companies
Distributed byWarner Bros. Pictures
Release dates
  • March 11, 2018 (2018-03-11) (SXSW)[2]
  • March 29, 2018 (2018-03-29) (United States)
Running time
140 minutes[3]
CountryUnited States[4]
LanguageEnglish
Budget$155–175 million[5][6][7]
Box office$607.9 million[8]

Ready Player One is a 2018 American science fiction action film based on Ernest Cline's novel of the same name. The film was co-produced and directed by Steven Spielberg, written by Cline and Zak Penn, and stars Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Lena Waithe, T.J. Miller, Simon Pegg, and Mark Rylance. The film is set in 2045, where much of humanity uses the OASIS, a virtual reality simulation, to escape the real world. A teenage orphan finds clues to a contest that promises ownership of the OASIS to the winner, and he and his allies try to complete it before an evil corporation can do so.

Development of the film first began in 2010 when Warner Bros. acquired the rights to the book. In July 2015, Spielberg signed on to direct and produce the film, with casting commencing in September 2015. Filming began in England in June 2016 and was completed in September that year. The visual effects were handled by Industrial Light & Magic, Digital Domain, and Territory Studio, with some pre-visualization work done by The Third Floor. As with the novel, many popular culture references appear throughout the film, including references to The Shining, the Back to the Future franchise, Godzilla and The Iron Giant.

Ready Player One premiered at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas on March 11, 2018, and was theatrically released in the United States on March 29, 2018, by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised Spielberg's direction, the visual effects, brisk pacing, and the performances of both Sheridan and Rylance.[9][10] It was also a commercial success, grossing around $607 million worldwide against a $155–175 million budget, and earned a nomination for Best Visual Effects at the 91st Academy Awards, 24th Critics' Choice Awards, and 72nd British Academy Film Awards. Ready Player One was awarded the title of Best Science Fiction Film at the 45th Saturn Awards, and a further two Outstanding Achievement Awards from the Visual Effects Society. A sequel is in development.

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Film Releases". Variety Insight. Archived from the original on February 5, 2018. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  2. ^ Aziz, Neha (March 10, 2018). "2018 SXSW Film Festival Announces World Premiere of Steven Spielberg's Ready Player One". South by Southwest. Archived from the original on March 10, 2018. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
  3. ^ "Ready Player One (12A)". British Board of Film Classification. March 19, 2018. Archived from the original on March 8, 2018. Retrieved March 23, 2018.
  4. ^ "Ready Player One (2018)". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on May 21, 2018. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
  5. ^ Rubin, Rebecca; Setoodeh, Ramin (March 12, 2018). "Steven Spielberg on Why 'Ready Player One's' SXSW Debut Gave Him an 'Anxiety Attack'". Variety. Penske Business Media. Archived from the original on March 12, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  6. ^ McClintock, Pamela (March 28, 2018). "Box-Office Preview: Steven Spielberg's 'Ready Player One' Eyes $45M-$50M Bow". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on March 28, 2018. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  7. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony; Tartaglione, Nancy (March 27, 2018). "Steven Spielberg's 'Ready Player One' To Get Its Game On With $140M+ Global Start". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Archived from the original on March 28, 2018. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
  8. ^ "Ready Player One". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Archived from the original on January 24, 2021. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
  9. ^ Jagneaux, David (March 13, 2018). "Ready Player One Movie Review Roundup: Another Spielberg Classic?". UploadVR. Archived from the original on March 27, 2018. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  10. ^ Casey, Henry T. (March 14, 2018). "Ready Player One Review Roundup: Pretty, Flawed". Tom's Guide. Archived from the original on March 26, 2018. Retrieved March 26, 2018.